Stuff that sounds amazing with the Surround Master

[J. PUPSTER]

This is supposed to be a thread about Surround Master, but you two brought up the electrostatic speaker topic. I heard big Martin Logan electrostatics about 12 years ago and really liked the sound. I listened to them extensively as they were the speakers connected to a system where I was auditioning various SACD players. The highs from the ML speakers were extremely sweet.

But the one thing that bothered me about the electrostatic ML's was the lack of high frequency dispersion. Get off axis a bit and the balance between the highs and the rest of the frequencies changed dramatically...way more than any speaker with conventional dome tweeters. I wonder if the Involve electrostatics address this issue?

The little bit I've heard those ML's I had the same impression, you're just able to articulate it better than I could AR. But I'm also really curious how the Involve electrostatics sound.

 

[fredblue]

Unfortunately, I'm fucking addicted to bread!

"give us this day our daily Quad.."

 

[fredblue]

Yeah, they were a great band......

..and when they do the Atmos version of "Best Of Bread", will it be region free gluten free Blu-ray or an SACD-seeded biyatch?

 

[fredblue]

while i have not ordered the SMv.2 yet (yet), i have quite some extensive man-child hours' "fiddling about" with ye olde SMv.1 (with SQ vinyl mod) and if i may just dip into the discussion, as i was reminded earlier this afternoon when set about decoding some old Quad LPs through the SMv.1 (with SQ vinyl mod) since the last time i used it was to Involve mode-ize Stereo content, the Centre channel is - imho - pretty out of whack with the rest of the channels with SQ- & QS-encoded material.. and so just my two'pennuth based on years of fiddling with the SMv.1 (with SQ vinyl mod) = do not use the Centre channel when decoding your QS and SQ LPs, the Centre dominates the surround soundfield and you'll be sat scratching your bonce saying "huh! why is everything coming from the Centre Front!?"

here endeth the news Quadlines ✌✌

 

[J. PUPSTER]

while i have not ordered the SMv.2 yet (yet), i have quite some extensive man-child hours' "fiddling about" with ye olde SMv.1 (with SQ vinyl mod) and if i may just dip into the discussion, as i was reminded earlier this afternoon when set about decoding some old Quad LPs through the SMv.1 (with SQ vinyl mod) since the last time i used it was to Involve mode-ize Stereo content, the Centre channel is - imho - pretty out of whack with the rest of the channels with SQ- & QS-encoded material.. and so just my two'pennuth based on years of fiddling with the SMv.1 (with SQ vinyl mod) = do not use the Centre channel when decoding your QS and SQ LPs, the Centre dominates the surround soundfield and you'll be sat scratching your bonce saying "huh! why is everything coming from the Centre Front!?"

here endeth the news Quadlines ✌✌

Yeah, at this point I'm pretty much dedicated to using 4.0 only!

 

[fredblue]

Yeah, at this point I'm pretty much dedicated to using 4.0 only!

you're a dedicated follower
of four-channel.

(oh yes he is!
yes he is!)

 

[Scott65]

you're a dedicated follower
of four-channel.

(oh yes he is!
yes he is!)

now you're being 'Kink-y'?

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Sara K. - HOBO - DVD-A 96/24
(Through my new Zektor Switch - thanks Sonik Wiz)
Sounds incredible - exceptionally clean and lots of separation between the channels; if you have a SM, you should try this one!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Sara K. - HOBO - DVD-A 96/24
(Through my new Zektor Switch - thanks Sonik Wiz)
Sounds incredible - exceptionally clean and lots of separation between the channels; if you have a SM, you should try this one!

View attachment 41423

Great album, Pupsta. BTW, do you have those 3 classic Alan Parsons Stereo 96/24 and 192/24 HDAD DVD~As from Classic Records, including I Robot, Turn of a Friendly Card and Eye in the Sky?

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Great album, Pupsta. BTW, do you have those 3 classic Alan Parsons Stereo 96/24 and 192/24 HDAD DVD~As from Classic Records, including I Robot?

Not sure on the other two, but I Robot for sure; looking forward to that one, it's on the stack. Heard one through a QSD-1 and it sounded nearly studio quality

 

[ar surround]

I've listened to exact one discrete surround sound album in the last month as I am mesmerized by this Surround Master V2. There is something about discovering what a device like this can do with plain vanilla 2-channel music that I find fascinating. So here are a few offerings. Note that I generally prefer to juice the surrounds up by 2dB, and that's how I listened to these songs.

Stealer's Wheel, Stuck In The Middle With You from Acoustic 70s:

Lots of separation on this one. The guitar intro starts almost discretely in the left rear. Then the guitar is in the right front. Hand claps come from all four speakers but sound as if four separate people. Second guitar is in the center as are Rafferty's vocals (as would be expected.)


Sugarloaf, Green Eyed Lady from Best Of Sugarloaf:

This is the extended 7 minute version of this song, not the single version. Again, lots of separation. Synthesizers bounce around the channels during the extended intro. Then organ is in the left front. Synthesizers bounce around again during various interludes. Guitar starts out in right front during long instrumental break and then appears in both RF and RR while the organ remains in left front.


The Shins, Saint Simon from Chutes Too Narrow:

Song starts out sounding like what the SM generally produces from a typical stereo recording with lots of surround clues...but nothing amazing. Then the middle eight hits and it opens up wildly with all sorts of music coming from all around. Then again from 3:00 through the extended outro. Can't describe anything in particular other than what @marpow would say..."sounds @#$%^ great."

It is interesting how the SM will usually take a signal panned left or right and put it in both the respective front and rear channels, albeit not sounding like pure double-stereo. But on occasion it will take a hard panned signal and put it virtually discretely in the front or rear speaker. I wonder what the device "hears" to determine what to do.

I also wonder what Tate II Surround would do with these songs, especially the first two, given that the SM yielded so much separation.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I've listened to exact one discrete surround sound album in the last month as I am mesmerized by this Surround Master V2. There is something about discovering what a device like this can do with plain vanilla 2-channel music that I find fascinating. So here are a few offerings. Note that I generally prefer to juice the surrounds up by 2dB, and that's how I listened to these songs.

Stealer's Wheel, Stuck In The Middle With You from Acoustic 70s:

Lots of separation on this one. The guitar intro starts almost discretely in the left rear. Then the guitar is in the right front. Hand claps come from all four speakers but sound as if four separate people. Second guitar is in the center as are Rafferty's vocals (as would be expected.)


Sugarloaf, Green Eyed Lady from Best Of Sugarloaf:

This is the extended 7 minute version of this song, not the single version. Again, lots of separation. Synthesizers bounce around the channels during the extended intro. Then organ is in the left front. Synthesizers bounce around again during various interludes. Guitar starts out in right front during long instrumental break and then appears in both RF and RR while the organ remains in left front.


The Shins, Saint Simon from Chutes Too Narrow:

Song starts out sounding like what the SM generally produces from a typical stereo recording with lots of surround clues...but nothing amazing. Then the middle eight hits and it opens up wildly with all sorts of music coming from all around. Then again from 3:00 through the extended outro. Can't describe anything in particular other than what @marpow would say..."sounds @#$%^ great."

It is interesting how the SM will usually take a signal panned left or right and put it in both the respective front and rear channels, albeit not sounding like pure double-stereo. But on occasion it will take a hard panned signal and put it virtually discretely in the front or rear speaker. I wonder what the device "hears" to determine what to do.

I also wonder what Tate II Surround would do with these songs, especially the first two, given that the SM yielded so much separation.

Listened to the first disc of that Acoustic 70s set tonight through the SMv2 and the whole thing sounds amazingly clean with a more overall discrete feel than the typical CD has. I would bet a Scheiner mix (per Clint E.) and great mastering has a lot to do with it. It has that sound of sitting right in the middle of the musicians in the studio.

 

[beerking]

I am having so much fun with this brilliant box of tricks

Going through my little collection of CD's

Talk about not going out anymore!!

Faces OOH LA LA

This really shows off the ability of the SM2, the separation is great and the music just comes alive.
Always liked this album, got the LP somewhere.

 

[beerking]

As I haven't got the Hades box set, I thought I would give this a try in 4.1

Tangerine Dream
Phaedra

Is there nothing that this box can't turn into surround....just wow!!

 

[DuncanS]

I am having so much fun with this brilliant box of tricks

Going through my little collection of CD's

Talk about not going out anymore!!

Faces OOH LA LA

This really shows off the ability of the SM2, the separation is great and the music just comes alive.
Always liked this album, got the LP somewhere.
View attachment 41647

I just realised I have no Faces on CD!

 

[beerking]

I just realised I have no Faces on CD!

No Shit...oops thought I read faeces!!

 

[beerking]

I am throwing everything at the SM2 that I think will challenge it, to see what the result is.. in 4.1
Faust
I was more into the German bands Faust and Can, as opposed to Tangerine Dream, in the 70's
I felt they pushed musical boundaries more.

This is the best yet...true surround (Well almost!!)
So much panning...cor blimey gov.

This one:
https://www.discogs.com/Faust-Two-Classic-Albums-From-Faust-Faust-So-Far/release/5715227

 

[DuncanS]

Try Can's "Flow Motion" through the SM2 it was recorded binaurally

 

[DuncanS]

Can's "Saw Delight" was also recorded binaurally

- I have all the Can on SACD, and every album they have released minus 2 'special' releases I think, yep I'm a Can fanatic!

 

[beerking]

My favourite of Cans is....Landed
Which I have on SACD (stereo...but not for long!!)